


Unidentified Flying Object

by SCFrankles



Category: Original Work, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: A Scandal in Bohemia, Community: fan_flashworks, Gen, Humor, Surrealism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 13:58:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3731443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SCFrankles/pseuds/SCFrankles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Doyle's class goes to the parsing zoo to learn how to identify the parts of a sentence.</p>
<p>(And I think this story should strictly speaking be called "Unidentified Flying Subject Complement.")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unidentified Flying Object

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Challenge 115: Unidentified Object](http://fan-flashworks.livejournal.com/479445.html) at [Fan Flashworks](http://fan-flashworks.livejournal.com/) on LJ.
> 
> * * *

Dr. Doyle the English teacher gazed cheerfully at his class of 11 year olds. 

“Today,” he declared, “we’re going to learn how to identify the different parts of the sentence!”

The children groaned. But they packed up their satchels and put on their duffel coats, and everyone set off for the parsing zoo.

 

“Now this is a very famous sentence,” said Dr. Doyle, indicating an enclosure. “It’s the opening to _A Scandal in Bohemia._ ” He pointed to the sign outside the bars, and read it aloud: “ **To Sherlock Holmes she is always _the_ woman.** ”

He considered his charges. “Now, can anyone spot the prepositional phrase in this sentence?”

The children stared into the enclosure, and little Godfrey tentatively put up his hand. “Is it… the **Sherlock Holmes** investigating that piece of paper over there?”

Dr. Doyle beamed at him. “Well done, Godfrey, yes! And there’s his preposition just in front of him.” He raised an eyebrow. “Can anyone tell me which is the subject?”

Monica waved her hand frantically. “It’s the **she**!” The little girl pressed her face to the bars. “So pretty and dainty…”

“And intelligent too,” added Dr. Doyle, watching the subject as she observed the object of the preposition at his investigations.

The **she** snapped her head up and looked them all in the eye for a moment, before moving gracefully away.

Dr. Doyle sighed and turned back to his class. “What about the verb? Sigismond, can you find it?”

Sigismond looked doubtful. “Well, sir, I thought a verb was a doing word but…” He pointed at the **is** lying sunning itself on a rock. “That word is just… _being.”_

“Yes, indeed,” nodded Dr. Doyle. “But it is a verb after all—a special verb called a copula that links the subject and the object together.” He gazed around. “And where is the object—can you see it?”

“There’s the _**the**!”_ yelled John. (Or possibly James. Dr. Doyle always got confused about that kid’s name.)

Everyone stared. The _**the**_ seemed stressed and it quivered a little before running off. John turned his head this way and that, searching for the **woman**. 

“There!” 

He pointed to something in the undergrowth.

Dr. Doyle frowned. “No, that’s a **man** , not a **woman**.” His frown became a little deeper. “I don’t know how it got into this enclosure…”

“But, sir,” said John, “you must consider the evidence! If a **man** can’t have got in, then the logical deduction must be…”

In the adjoining enclosure, **What a woman—oh, what a woman! cried the King of Bohemia** suddenly all threw themselves against the shared fence. It frightened the **man** , which flew high up into the air, coming safely to rest far away.

“Look!” said John in triumph.

And away from its disguise it was immediately apparent the **man** was indeed a **woman**.

John looked pretty smug. 

But here our story comes to an end, as it was feeding time and there was a sudden appearance from the **full stop.**


End file.
